Contemplations
I talked about Drew Bledsoe and Tom Brady in my last post. I mentioned how NFL teams dismissed Brady based on appearances. He didn’t fit their perception of an ideal quarterback. I will talk about the Biblical story of David and Saul in this post which overlaps with the Bledsoe and Brady story.
The Bible tells the story of the Israelites going to their leader, the prophet Samuel, who was coming to the end of his life and requesting that their next leader be a king instead of one of Samuel’s sons. This was because Samuel’s sons were corrupt and the people wanted a king like nearby nations.
Samuel and God decided to honour their request despite their annoyance. God directed Samuel to anoint a man called Saul. The Bible described Saul as a handsome young man who was taller than anyone else. He looked like a leader and when he was announced to the people; they were delighted. They got what they wanted. King Saul started well but turned out to be a bad leader. God then decided to replace him after too many instances of disobedience.
God directed Samuel to find Saul’s replacement. He was sent to a man named Jesse who had several sons. Jesse’s eldest son, Eliab, who was tall and handsome was presented to Samuel. Samuel assumed Eliab was the replacement king in waiting.
“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
1 Samuel 16: 7 (NIVUK)
Six other sons were presented to Samuel and were all rejected. Samuel was confused and asked Jesse if he had any more sons. Jesse admitted that he had one more son named David who was away tending the sheep because he was the youngest.
David was immediately recalled home and presented to Samuel and he was anointed to be the next King of Israel. David would face many trials and tribulations before he ascended to the throne but would go on to be the greatest King in Israel’s history
Saul passed the eye test because he fit the Israelites’ perception of a leader. Everyone expected him to be successful but yet he failed. David’s youth caused everyone to overlook his leadership potential. Humans usually use current appearances and past performances to make future predictions. These are tangible things. Predicting future greatness or success also relies on the ‘intangibles’ as the stories of David and Tom Brady demonstrate.
Consumptions
📺 (Film)
On the line – This film is set in the 1960s and the protagonist is Agnes who is a telephone switchboard operator on the Channel Islands. She gets a call from a distressed woman who says she has been kidnapped. Agnes has to try to figure out where this woman is and help the police find her.
On the line is a chamber drama. This is a term used to describe films and TV shows that primarily take place within a single location or a confined space. Chamber dramas rely on dialogue and character dynamics to drive the narrative forward.
I am a big fan of chamber dramas. Some favourites include Phone Booth (in a phone booth), Buried (in a coffin) and Locke (in a car).
I wanted to love this movie but it felt more like a stage or radio play than a chamber drama movie. Maybe it is because it is set in the past (60s) compared to the other chamber dramas I love. The movie does have a twist ending but the plot felt too weak to sustain a 75-minute runtime.
